In the recent Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform (http://bit.ly/9rCs7C ) 21-22 October 2010 in Bangkok, a civil society representative from Bangladesh highlighted that, “the NGOs in Bangladesh are flooded with Climate Adaptation Funds”. This statement is an indication that availability and access to adaptation funds is less of an issue for this country and that the more important issue is the careful monitoring of the use of such fund and observation of the impact of adaptation financing in Bangladesh.

One of the key speakers further indicated that it is important to set national level priorities carefully and in a strategic manner whilst also focusing upon the customary/traditional practices that support adaptation.

A Minister from Indonesia also raised the need for developing country governments in Asia and the Pacific region to be skillful in dealing with donors and be clear about what they want to do and how their communities could adapt. Similarly, while reading through one of the posting from the ongoing Cancun COP16 summit, a delegate wrote, “the thing with these donors is that they all have their own agendas. They don’t know what we need locally, or what suits us. That’s why looking at local solutions for adaptation is so important. There shouldn’t be so many strings” (http://bit.ly/gc8J2t ).

Before discussing the adaptation or mitigation related funding it’s very important that there is thorough consultation among the people so that priorities are well understood. In addition, it is important to understand the requirements and accountabilities in accessing and using funds. Judicious assessment and use of funds is required as ultimately it is the community structure that will be responsible for the success or failure of any such program and ultimately it is the people not the donors that are impacted by the good and bad decisions. In this context, it is also important that our communities are well equipped and are aware about their rights particularly in relation to key aspects such as access to information, equitable access to justice and that they are involved at each level of planning and implementation.

I take example from Himalayan Mountains, in certain climatic context there is lot of data available through the various universities, research institutions, government agencies and among others but this is often not openly shared and not accessible to the practitioners...Read Full:http://bit.ly/eyKJyV